Should The Titans Consider Trading The No. 1 Pick In The 2025 NFL Draft?

After a handful of changes at the top of the board over the past couple of weeks, it will be the Tennessee Titans who will hold the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. And while it may seem obvious that they’ll use it to select a quarterback prospect, they may want to consider trading the selection and stock up on future assets.

Tennessee Titans Hold The #1 Pick In The 2025 NFL Draft

There are two QB talents that most mock drafts have at the top of their board. Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward have separated themselves from the rest of the class with their stellar collegiate performances in 2024, and are both widely projected to be picked in the top 5.

But there are still months to go until teams start picking in late April, and player rankings are certainly subject to change. After his poor bowl game performance against BYU, there are rising questions about Sanders and his stature as a top pick. Ward has all of the physical tools in order to be successful in the NFL, but could slide down draft boards thanks to his decision-making and turnover tendencies.

TITANS GET THE #1 OVERALL PICK. 😱

Shedeur or Travis… who should they take? 👀 pic.twitter.com/2M9acrIUgP

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 5, 2025

Some have even said that the pair would be the 6th and 7th best QB prospects if they were in last year’s class of 2024, behind even guys like JJ McCarthy and Bo Nix.

The quarterback play for the Titans was poor during the 2024 season, but should they risk spending the top overall pick on a questionable prospect?

What Are Tennessee’s Options?

One option would be to trade down. They could dangle their newly-acquired asset as trade bait to a QB-hungry team willing to take a risk on Sanders or Ward. They’d perhaps be able to pick up a first rounder for next year’s draft in the process, along with other pieces to help aid in rebuilding a roster that is desperate for talent.

Or, they could stay at #1 and pick from another position other than quarterback. Along with Sanders and Ward, the other most talked about prospect is Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. A freak athlete who was dominants on both sides of the ball for Colorado, Hunter will likely be the first non-QB taken in the upcoming selection process, and may end up going first overall depending on how things shake out over the next 3+ months.

They’d need to fill holes elsewhere and would still have a quarterback issue, but having Hunter in place could be a viable option for Tennessee.

If they were to trade the pick, how many teams would show interest? 6 of the NFL teams that have a top-10 pick figure to need upgrades to the QB position, including the Giants, Raiders, and Jets. If one of them offers something like a swap of first rounders in 2024 and a high-round pick in 2025, it may be a deal that the Titans would have a tough time passing up.